Nagging your fleet drivers about their driving habits whenever you see a flurry of harsh driving events isn’t going to be the most effective way of curving driver behavior, and may erode moral within the workplace. Gamification in the workplace, or taking a proactive approach that rewards good driving behavior, has proven to be an effective means of influencing driving habits, while maintaining a light and non-confrontational atmosphere. As Marry Poppins once said:

“In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun and — SNAP — the job’s a game.”

That British umbrella windsurfing nanny was on to something. People love games because they bring out our innate desire to compete with one another. Any time you can turn an everyday task into some sort of contest, you’ve increased engagement and made the results of said task a point of focus. More and more companies in a variety of industries are using the concept of gamification in the workplace as a way to improve performance. Gamification is great because employee success is gauged relative to their peers rather than by some arbitrary measurement that can leave employees feeling mistreated and misunderstood.

Use gamification to encourage desirable workplace behaviors.

Use Gamification to Encourage Gentle Driving

Fleet managers know that vehicle maintenance can be one of the most unpredictable expenses they need to deal with. Ensuring that your vehicles are being driven as gently as possible will go a long way to ensuring your vehicle maintenance expenditures are kept at a predictable minimum. Gentle driving is also safe and efficient driving. Having a strong safety record is regarded by most entrepreneurs as being the single most important statistic a company can have. Efficiency and sustainability are only going to grow in relevance when businesses are examined for overall health in the 21st Century.

Monitor Metrics Relevant to Your Business

Driver behavior scorecards can promote safety and efficiency all while creating a fun, convivial atmosphere for your employees. The scorecard metrics can be customized to measure the Key Performance Indicators, such idle times, speeding events, harsh braking/acceleration, geographical zone departure etc., that are most relevant to your fleet’s particular operations — you’re probably not going to want to give your drivers a hard time about idling in thirty below weather.

Monitor the key performance indicators relevant to your business.

Have Fun with Gamification in the Workplace

Packaging up the driver data and presenting it to your employees is when you get to be creative, and hopefully a little humorous as well. This month’s winner of the Drives Like My 90-Year-Old Grandma trophy and recipient of the $100 gift card is “insert responsible driver name here”. Narrowly edging out “the runner up” because of their outstanding speed record. I haven’t seen speeds this slow since my Grandma and I took that road trip to California! Well done! Your driving habits are saving the company money, contributing to our proud reputation of sustainability, and ensuring we maintain our excellent safety record.

A classic concept with an enterprise twist, gamification in the workplace is rapidly gaining popularity in the modern age of innovative business practices. Letting your employees know that you appreciate their efforts ensures that they feel a part of the team and motivates them to keep contributing as best they can. Optimizing fleet efficiency while team building. That’s supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

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